Nibelung

noun

"nibelung" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Nibelung” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A member of a supernatural underground race that guarded treasures and gold searched for and eventually seized by Siegfried.

Corpus desk

Index EN-nibelung · Nibelung · English

Nibelung · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "N" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for Nibelung
PropertyValue
HeadwordNibelung
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Nibelung” sits in English frequency

Nibelung falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Nibelung is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A member of a supernatural underground race that guarded treasures and gold searched for and eventually seized by Siegfried.".

Nibelung has no tracked misspelling variants, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From German Nibelung, a singular form corresponding to the plural Nibelungen; from Old High German nibel (“mist”) + the patronymic ending -ung, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *nebulaz + *-ungō. The correct English form is Nibelung, spelled N-I-B-E-L-U-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    A member of a supernatural underground race that guarded treasures and gold searched for and eventually seized by Siegfried.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how Nibelung appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. […] and at the same Time flattered himself, that the Lombards and People of Acquitaine, whom he had lately conquered, having Kings of their own, would not be so easily tempted to shake off the Yoke, as if their Countries were made Provinces of France. [footnote] Eginhard. in vit. Carol. Chron. Nibelung. in appendice. Annal. Moiffiac.
  2. The Song of the Nibelungen, and the Lament.

Etymology

From German Nibelung, a singular form corresponding to the plural Nibelungen; from Old High German nibel (“mist”) + the patronymic ending -ung, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *nebulaz + *-ungō.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Nibelung"?
"Nibelung" is spelled N-I-B-E-L-U-N-G.
What does "Nibelung" mean?
As a noun, "Nibelung" means: A member of a supernatural underground race that guarded treasures and gold searched for and eventually seized by Siegfried.
What is the origin of the word "Nibelung"?
From German Nibelung, a singular form corresponding to the plural Nibelungen; from Old High German nibel (“mist”) + the patronymic ending -ung, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *nebulaz + *-ungō. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list